We Have This in Common
by Preternatural Singularity
Summary: Lightning and Snow may be different on many levels, but they soon discover that they have something very important in common. Rated T for minor suggestive themes and a few mild expletives.
1. Beginnings

A/N: This is my very first fanfiction. If anyone has constructive criticism, positive feedback, or feels like sharing random trivia (an ostrich's brain is the size of its eye), please feel free to comment after reading. I am extremely curious to know what readers are thinking, and I apologize in advance if a few of my notoriously long sentences slipped through my editing process.

Some small creative liberties were taken during the writing process, as there should be. But, hopefully, the characters managed to remain as true to canon as possible. Seeing as the LightningxSnow pairing is non-canonical, a few discrepancies should be expected.

With that out of the way, I can affirm very surely and sadly that I do not own any rights associated with Square Enix, Final Fantasy, or the (once again) fantastic characters devised by Tetsuya Nomura. May he achieve the role of Character Development Demi-God soon.

Thoughts are _italicized._

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Part One: Beginnings

The soft, ambient glow of the luminescent Gapra Whitewood filled the night as hope might fill the heart. Lightning sighed at the thought. It seemed the only hope to be found in her traveling party was in the namesake of the young teenage boy sleeping an arm's-length away, lost in his dreams. Before he went to sleep, the boy had made her promise to wake him for a turn at watch. He wanted so desperately to share responsibility, trying to prove to her that he wasn't a burden, that he could be of use. She had not woken him, though, since she knew sleep would not come to her tonight.

As if responding to her thoughts, Hope adjusted his sleeping position, rolling towards her and stuffing his hands under his head for support. His breathing slowed again. Lightning reached down without thinking, tracing her fingers lightly down his head in a gesture akin to maternal soothing. She couldn't help but look at him as she did her sister—someone fragile, in need of protection.

_Serah_.

With the thought, Lightning quickly retracted her hand from the sleeping boy, momentarily pressing her palm over her eyes and physically forcing herself to hold her emotions together. This was no time to be thinking about useless things like regret and guilt. She had a mission, and she'd be damned if anyone, including herself, tried to delay that mission. Focus. She just needed to stay strong. Her expression twisted a little involuntarily at the thought of "Focus." Was the goal given to them by the Pulse Fal'Cie really to save Cocoon? How could that be possible?

This line of thinking unfortunately led to Snow and his loud-mouthed proclamations. First, he had vowed to help Serah complete her Focus, and then, he had sworn to complete his own, no matter what, completely convinced they were meant to save Cocoon. When they had finally found Serah's crystal on the solidified Lake Bresha and he had gone off on another bravado-driven speech, she had decked him so hard and so many times that her fist was still hurting. The idiot didn't know when to stay down and shut up. Lightning snorted, slightly amused at the thought of that idiot staying behind to hack away at Serah's trapped crystal with nothing but his ego to shield him from the Sanctum.

_No..._Lightning rebuked the thought_, It's not amusing...it's...terrible...and sad._ That worthless man had stayed behind when Lightning had abandoned the task, accepting the facts. The facts...Her sister, her precious charge, was gone. Forever. On instinct, Lightning's thoughts quickly veered away from the lurking pool of despair.

There was another fact, as well. She would destroy the Sanctum. This whole Fal'Cie bullshit was getting old. Someone was responsible, and someone had to pay. Lightning would make sure of that. Still...she lost control of her thoughts for just a moment and found herself wondering if Snow had been successful. Sure, it was doubtful, but it is unwise to underestimate fools. They can think of things and get out of situations which may seem impossible for other people.

"Idiots always found a way to survive," she muttered.

* * *

"Something wrong, then?" Fang asked when she saw Snow rubbing his ear idly. She leaned over the railing of the exposed hangar, looking out into the dark expanse of night sky to observe twinkling lights from the vantage point of the airship. Snow turned his back on the view, pushing his elbows back down to the railing to support his slouching posture.

"My ears were burning," he grinned, "Maybe someone's talking about me?"

"Could be your l'Cie friends, yeah?" Fang offered. Then she smiled slyly and added "maybe one of the girls is pining the loss of their hero." Her comment made Snow smirk.

"Heh," he punched into his palm, looking for all the world like the roguish character a l'Cie was thought to be. "Who wouldn't?" They both chuckled, but Snow slowly turned serious, frowning softly. "Well, I guess there's one of them who's probably happy we're separated." He pushed away from the railing and connected his fingers behind his bandana, beginning a slow pace from one side of the cat-walk to the other.

"What, the one who reset your jaw? Serah's sister?" Fang asked as she turned her back to the railing, enabling her to watch the big man struggle with his thoughts. "Her name is...Lightning? Is that right?" Snow paused his steps at the name, gazing out over the opposite side of the narrow walkway, his eyes distant. He couldn't stop thinking about how they had parted ways. How could Lightning not understand? How could she not fight for the possibility? He snorted under his breath. It _was_ Lightning, after all. She of the iced heart and iron will...and fist. _And yet..._he began to think, but he stopped himself. And yet what? She couldn't possibly be as distant as she acted? She had to care for people on some level? Is that what he was thinking? True, it was not an impossible idea.

"Lightning," Fang said again, to herself this time, since she realized Snow had left the conversation temporarily. The sound of her name again brought him back, though, and he turned to face Fang, dropping his hands loosely to his sides. "I like that name," Fang declared. "It sounds strong." Her comment made Snow bark a melancholy laugh.

"Yeah, well, strength is something Lightning has in excess," he grumbled, rubbing his jaw.

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Fang joked, punching him in the arm. Snow accepted the first tag but playfully hopped out of the way of another, chuckling as he swatted a half-hearted counter of his own to let Fang jump back in turn.

"It's not bad," he conceded with a smile. "I just think that, you know, she could do with a smile every once and a while. Even before this whole l'Cie thing, she was either working or at home working on other stuff or lecturing Serah," he paused to think. "I'm not sure if I've ever seen her smile, as a matter of fact. But, then again, she's never been a big fan of the big-bad unemployed guy chasing after her little sister, you know?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Fang started to say.

"Aw, cut me a break, will ya?" Snow groaned dramatically, throwing his hands in the air in mock exasperation. "Having Lightning on my case is more than enough, trust me. Did I mention she was part of the Guardian Corps? And she still wears her rank plate on her shoulder, too." He paused, hung up on a sudden thought. "Does that mean that now she's...impersonating an officer?" he mused, glancing to Fang for her thoughts. He found the dark haired woman staring at him with an unsettling smirk pulling at her lips, her arms folded across her chest, and one eyebrow dubiously raised. "What?" he asked defensively.

"You do go on about her, don't you?" Fang observed, continuing to scrutinize him in her cheeky manner.

"H-...hah?" Snow responded with a vacant and confused countenance.

"This Lightning girl. You seem pretty hung up on her," Fang unfolded her arms and placed one hand on her hip. "So, what, you want both sisters now? Is that it?" She couldn't help but smile wider when Snow's mouth fell open, closed, and then fell open again, vaguely resembling aquatic lifeforms when removed from their natural water habitat.

"No...wait...what?" he began, finally forming a shocked response. "Both? What are you talking about?"

"The Farron girls, you idiot, what else are we talking about? It's clear your mind hasn't strayed far from one of them in particular for several minutes," Fang finally gave in to a small fit of laughter at the sight of Snow going pale enough to rival the real thing and then rapidly flushing as red as Fang's lance. "So it's true? You want both of them?" Fang said with a chuckle.

"No!" Snow managed to yelp a refute after finding his voice again. "Of course I only want one! Are you crazy?"

"So, which one do you want, then?"

"Tch. Isn't in obvious?"

"Yeah, it is to me," she replied with a mischievous grin. "I don't think it is to you, though." She just waved him off when his only reply was a befuddled frown. After a short stretch of her back, she hefted her lance onto her shoulder and jerked her head toward the hangar door. "I'm turning in. Don't stay up to late, you lady killer." Snow watched as she left him in a state of perplexity, all but scratching his head. He sighed after a few moments and put his forearms on the railing, gazing once again out into the vast, dark sky.

"I really don't get women sometimes," Snow confessed to the night.

Back in the Gapra Whitewood, Lightning had been idly rubbing her burning ear for a few minutes now.


	2. Battle

I, unfortunately, have no claim on Final Fantasy, Square Enix, or any of the characters/locations/what-have-you therein.

Thoughts are _italicized. _

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Part Two: Battle

Location: Palumpolum

Lightning ran everywhere. Being a part of the Guard Corps had made her into a machine of uncanny endurance and skill. Even before entering the service, she had maintained a lifestyle of various physical activities. Running was easy for her, effortless. Right now, though, it did not feel like her normal training routine; it did not even feel like running from PSICOM. She was engaged in a flat-out sprint against time, desperate steps rebounding off of the buildings around them with each pound of her booted feet against the paved ground. She didn't have time to be impressed that Fang was keeping up even while her lance encumbered one hand. There was no room in her mind for anything but her destination and the small, unlikely hope that the explosion in the distance had not been because PSICOM found Hope and Snow. Snow always greatly underestimated PSICOM's power, possibly because he so grossly overestimated his own sometimes. Even with the help of his Eidolon, who could hope to stand a chance against the full force of the Sanctum's elite squadron?

Originally, Lightning had been a little hesitant to leave Hope in Snow's care. The large brawler held little more intimidation and skill than a playground bully, in her mind. She wouldn't deny that seeing his Eidolon was both impressive and terrifying, filling her with awe when she realized such a monster apparently resided within all l'Cie. When Odin had forced his way out of her own brand, it had been painful and frightening. Had it been the same for Snow? Despite her cold demeanor, Lightning hid a remarkably empathetic personality. And, save for rare occasions where her temper got the best of her and she herself was the perpetrator, it pained her to see those around her in pain. By the acknowledgment of this part of her personality, she hoped to justify her increasing concern for her sister's fiancé.

She also knew the teenager still had poisonous thoughts festering inside; he had yet to fulfill the revenge for his mother's untimely death. Lightning herself had encouraged the boy towards his goal, feeling that just having something to fight for meant that life would continue to have meaning. Unfortunately, she had discovered she could only hide behind the numbing effects of open conflict for so long before the truth caught up with her. Between being branded a l'Cie and losing Serah, she acutely felt the futility of her struggle. She could only imagine how the boy, seven years her junior, would react to his own devastating loss when left alone with the person he blamed for it all. Perhaps that had been irresponsible, but they had not had much of a choice at the time.

For now, she had to keep up her breakneck pace. No matter what, she was responsible for them. For Hope because she had ignorantly turned him down his dark path, and for Snow because she had not been able to warn him. The idiot probably didn't realize that with every comment he made to try and lift the boy's confidence, he drove Hope closer to completing his sinister goal.

Lightning skidded to a halt when she met the dead end of an obnoxiously long street., her chest heaving with the exertion and stress. "Dammit," she swore hoarsely, pounding her fist against her thigh in frustration. They didn't have time to backtrack.

"It seems our luck continues," Fang commented cynically, flicking her hand at the concrete structure.

"There," Lightning said suddenly. By the time Fang had turned to investigate, Lightning had already dashed at the blockade, run two steps up the concrete wall, launched herself off towards a previously unreachable fire escape, and vaulted over the railing. "We're going over the building," she said simply, kicking down the ladder for her companion.

Fang took a moment to openly stare before grinning widely. "I like this girl."

Not long after traversing the building, Lightning and Fang loped into a wide open area. "Hope!" Lightning shouted upon seeing the boy. He was squared off with a large winged creature hailing from the PSICOM ranks; he was not doing well. Lightning slowed her pace slightly when she saw a familiar collection of large jacket and black headband lying prone on the ground behind Hope. _Snow._ Because of her hesitation, Fang outpaced her and managed to loop an arm behind Hope just as he started a slow backwards fall.

"Easy kid!" She cried, swinging him back into an upright position with an "up we go!" Hope, dazed, barely recognized Fang as the strange woman he had seen with Snow earlier.

"...thanks," he said weakly, staggering a step or two before regaining his balance. He looked around expectantly. "Where's Light?" He asked, but quickly located her without Fang's help. Lightning had rolled Snow onto his back and appeared to be quickly checking him for major external injury. Hope noted that the concern in her eyes was different than the coolness with which she usually regarded the big man. He felt a little guilty, wondering if she had been worried that Hope would follow through with his revenge. Truthfully, he had tried. The interruption by PSICOM had just barely managed to divert the survival knife meant to end Snow's life. Though afterward, Snow had still gained significant injury by protecting Hope with his body as they fell from the dizzying height of the rooftop. And to make him feel worse, Snow had pushed through his pain and carried Hope on his back to escape the immediate danger. When he had tried to protect the boy from their current threat, he was too weak and had been knocked aside, losing consciousness.

"Am I the only one who remembers there's a giant something-or-other trying to grind us into little bits?" Fang shouted as she guarded against the monster when it began a second assault. Hope spun on his heel and pulled out his boomerang, ready to get even.

"Lightning!" Fang yelled frantically when the monster sped past her, assuming Lightning and Snow were the weak-links since they were not fighting and aiming to finish off the easy opponents first. Lightning's attention was finally diverted away from the injured Snow just in time to see the coming attack. She grabbed the handle of her gunblade and prepared to rise, but the monster had caught her off guard and launched a preemptive strike. Several energy bursts shot towards her and Snow. Her eyes widened in panic. She had no time to block. In desperation, she fell back onto Snow, attempting to shield him.

Just in time, Fang jumped in front of Lightning with a fearsome battle-cry, deflecting the attack into the nearby buildings which shuddered and cracked at the forceful impact.

Lightning looked up to her rescuer. "Fang," she said lamely, realizing she wouldn't have needed protection if she had stayed focus. How could she let herself be distracted like that? At the sound of a gravelly moan, she looked back to Snow. He was still unconscious, but squirmed as he fought to reawaken. Lightning placed her palm on his forehead without thinking, trying to soothe him. "Relax, hero. We'll handle this."

"Are you quite ready?" Fang asked over her shoulder, getting annoyed despite the touching way in which Lightning was treating the man she usually called "worthless," among other things. "This thing's gearing up for another go."

Lightning stood quickly, clearing her throat as she marveled at the words she had just spoken. "Sorry, I'm ready," she affirmed, drawing her weapon and snapping out the blade. A few quick steps put her side-by-side with Hope.

"Light...I—" he began to attempt an explanation when she didn't look at him, wondering if she was upset. He was surprised when she took another step, placing herself slightly in front of him; a move to protect him.

"Stay focused," she said while keeping her eyes forward. Her voice had taken on the tone of leadership again. "We can talk after we beat this thing."

He opened his mouth as he stared at her back with uncertainty, but he quickly grinned with confidence given by her words. "Yeah."

"Lovely chat, guys. Really inspiring," Fang chimed in. "Can we get on with it?" She spun her lance once and then pointed it with purpose towards their foe, anxious.

Lightning nodded and assumed her fighting stance. "Just another battle."

* * *

A/N: Hey y'all, thanks for the kind reviews and support. I'm happy to post the second part of this story, and I have the third part mostly written. I think I'll have it ready to post tomorrow.

While writing out Fang's words, I can't help but hear her accent in my head. It's like she tells me what to write, the controlling wench, and I have no say at all. I think she's more controlling in my head than in the game, but I guess it's just how she comes across to me. Also, while writing this part around the "action" (I really can't write action, sorry), I couldn't help but make continuous game-play references. Those of you who have played might recognize them, sorry if it's cheesy!

OMG GAIS!! In part three, Lighting and Snow INTERACT...finally. Thanks for your patience. Once again, I encourage people to let me know what they think, or offer random facts (catfish have more than 250,000 tastebuds), in the "reviews" area.


	3. Recognition

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Square Enix, the Final Fantasy franchise, or any characters/locations/what-have-you therein. That fact will haunt me forever.

* * *

Part Three: Recognition

Location: Estheim Residence

---

Snow's bout of unconsciousness may have looked relatively peaceful to a passive observer, but it had been anything but restful. He passed between stages of vivid, lifelike dreams which made no sense (at one point he dreamed he was on a speedboat), or nightmares in which everyone around him was in danger and he remained rigidly paralyzed. Sometimes he was vaguely aware, in a semi-conscious state, and tried with all his might to cross the barrier in the waking world, to no avail. When he finally managed to come around, he couldn't be sure he wasn't still dreaming. He was lying on a strange bed in a strange room, and when he gently swiveled his head to examine his surroundings, he saw Lightning.

At first his heart jumped into his throat as he prepared for a vicious onslaught of verbal abuse. He would wager that during their time apart, he had managed to do something which upset her. No such ire arose, though. She was slouched in a chair beside where he lay, head atop her folded arms resting on the bed, asleep. Snow started to sigh but quickly perished the thought, his ribs aching fiercely. With a downward glance he appraised the bandaging running around his torso. _Tough luck, but it could have been worse._

Lightning slightly adjusted her sleeping position and almost made Snow jump out of his skin. _I must still be pretty dazed_, he thought, realizing he had almost forgotten she was there. How long had she been there? Now he took the time to acknowledge her more acutely. The room was dim. The only light came from a dull glow as the fading sunlight tried to trespass beyond the closed shades of a large window. Despite this, Lightning's unique hair color managed to softly shine. Several strands had fallen across her face, obscuring her features. Gently, and without really intending to, Snow reached out and slowly brushed the hair away from her eyes. He stared in wonder. Her sleeping face was so relaxed, so tranquil, she almost looked like a different person. He found himself wondering if she had to wake up every morning and remember to change her countenance back to her usual hard and determined expression.

_What are you doing, Snow?_ He questioned himself, quickly pulling his fingers away from her face. His conversation with Fang had suddenly popped into his head, making him feel inexplicably unsettled. After Fang had left him to think about what she had said, he realized she had been implying that he liked Lightning, not as a future sister in-law, but something romantically driven. He had scoffed to himself at the idea, but now, with the woman in question sleeping close enough to touch (again), doubt set in. He admired a lot of things about Lightning, thought that she was an impressive (albeit stubborn) person, and certainly found her to be beautiful. When she wasn't verbally or physically taking stuff out on him, there wasn't really anything to not like about Lightning.

Once again, he began rebuking himself. _I have Serah. What am I thinking about?_ He scrubbed his hand over his race roughly then let it fall to his side, landing on the bed more heavily than he intended.

Lightning stirred, frowning before opening her eyes. Snow was amused that she frowned immediately upon waking but simultaneously regretted the loss of her sleeping expression. Maybe he had been kidding himself. Even if he did feel something for her, what could the no-nonsense Lightning and the unrestrained Snow have in common?

"You're awake," Lightning observed through partially unfocused eyes. She instantly realized she had been sleeping right next to him and sat bolt upright, frowning more and pushing her hands into her lap after swiping at her mildly disheveled hair. Snow disturbed himself again by thinking her actions were cute.

After a moment, Lightning visibly relaxed, to a degree, and looked to Snow. "Hope told me what happened," she said, seeming strained.

"Oh, uh," he squirmed a little as the memory of hitting every obstacle on the way down from the building came rushing back. "I wasn't just going to let him fall. I'm the hero after all, remember?" He offered a smile, trying to figure out if he was going to get in trouble for some reason. He barely kept from flinching when she rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"Idiot..." she muttered. "That's not what I meant."

Snow wondered if any amount of begging or pleading would convince her to postpone the possibly impending physical pain until he had more of a chance to recover. "I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, he with desperation, she with guilt. They took a moment to stare at one another.

"What are you sorry for?" Lightning asked in confusion, in turn making Snow even more confused.

"I'm...not sure yet. I just figured I'd done something wrong?" he smiled weakly, without confidence. Lightning regarded him with guilt apparent on her face, for a few things now. _Do I really make him feel this way all the time?_

"Not that I'm aware of, but I wouldn't put it past you," she tried to smirk as she teased briefly. Her face soon turned serious again. "I'm so sorry, Snow," she began, looking down at her hands. "I didn't get the chance to warn you about Hope." She reached into her pouch and pulled out the survival knife she had received on her birthday, the one she had lent to Hope. Snow of course recognized the object, recalling how it had been briefly turned against him.

"Oh," he replied plainly. "So...why are _you_ apologizing for that, again? You know, besides for providing him with the knife, which is pretty blameless," he still couldn't make the connection. Lightning went back and forth with herself as to how she was going to phrase what she had to say without making it seem so awful. As she took her time in her thoughts, Snow watched with apprehension as she began to flick the survival knife open and closed compulsively. He hoped that the action was just a habitual mannerism and not foreshadowing. After a few more moments of silence passed between them, Snow was beginning to wonder if Lightning had forgotten she was supposed to be saying something.

In truth, Lightning was suffering from a mental lapse after becoming uncomfortably aware of Snow's shirtless state. She hadn't given much of a thought towards it when field dressing his ribs or when he hadn't been awake. Now, though, she tried to seem casual about her gaze becoming locked on the opening and closing knife in her hand. She was originally appalled by her initial reaction of embarrassment, then became mortified at discovering she would prefer looking to turning away. Was she seriously wanting to ogle her sister's fiancé?

She was in the process of closing the knife again when Snow's hand came down on her leg. "Lightning?" he said with some degree of concern. Lightning was so startled that she jumped. Her thumb slammed the knife closed rapidly, making her yelp as it made contact with her finger, and she dropped the tool to the floor where it landed with a dense thud.

"Shit, are you okay?" Snow asked as he propped himself up on one elbow. Before Lightning had a chance to examine the damage for herself, Snow had snatched her hand closer to his face. Since he couldn't sit up that far without extreme discomfort, Lightning had been pulled out of her chair and was leaning awkwardly over the edge of the bed, supporting herself with her other hand on the bed on the other side of Snow, as an added uncomfortable bonus. Her mind crossed the line between embarrassment and annoyance.

"Let me go, Snow," she said, her voice going chilly. He didn't seem to hear her as he looked her hand over for injury.

"It doesn't seem too bad," he said with relief. "Looks like you mostly got the nail."

Since he seemed to be oblivious to her demand, Lightning roughly snatched her hand back without asking a second time. She pushed back off of the bed and regained her footing before reaching down to recover the fallen knife. Snow struggled to sit up all of the way, swinging his legs over the side of the bed until his still-booted feet connected with the floor. "What's the matter?" He wheezed out between pained breaths, pressing the palm of one hand against the source of pain in his torso; he felt a small prickle of perspiration on his brow from the exertion.

"What's the matter..." Lightning repeated flatly, staring at him with her unreadable mask and cold eyes firmly back in place. The only betrayal to her once again stoic countenance was the vicious manner in which she shoved the survival knife back into her belt pouch. She strode to the door and wrapped her fingers around the handle, pausing to cast Snow a poisonous glare before wrenching to door open. A startled Hope was her door-prize, standing in a mimed position of grabbing for the handle of the now open door.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice almost completely back in character for her role as the stolid guardian. The boy blinked rapidly a few times as he reorganized his thoughts.

"My dad...he wants to talk to you guys," he finally delivered the message.

"Understood," she said with a nod. "Snow?" she asked flatly, not bothering to look back into the room for the subject of her inquiry.

"Yeah...got it," Snow responded dutifully, his gaze moving down to his boots. Hope could only look to each in mild confusion once before Lightning exited and shut the door, leaving Snow alone in the room. He took a few deep breaths and then attempted to lever himself off of the bed. When it didn't look like he was going to make it, he grabbed the chair beside the bed to assist the process. After gaining his feet, he stood with a hand on the back of the chair; Lightning's chair.

What had he been thinking? He had reached out to her on instinct, genuinely concerned. After he had her hand, though, and she was leaning over him, her expression had temporarily reverted back to softer angles thanks to his unexpected attentions. He had been rather scared when he continued to hold her there after she had ordered her release so dangerously, but not scared enough to give up the chance of seeing her soft expression again.

It had obviously been a poor judgment call on his part. It appeared she hated him once again. All of their progress towards conflict-free interactions was back to square one. "Perfect," he muttered to himself.

He didn't realize that no thought of guilt towards forgetting Serah, the ultimate trump card to banish all of the convoluted thoughts spinning around inside, managed to enter his mind.

---

Just outside the door, Lightning shooed Hope on down the hall to tell his father they would be there shortly. _I just need a moment_. She thought to herself. Just a moment to reestablish her "Lightning" persona. "Lightning" was a neutral party, neither cruel nor caddy, but direct and dependable. "Lightning" would not have acted the way she had in that room, showing everything from an ashamed girl to a ruthless soldier in the span of a few minutes.

Another thing "Lightning" would not do is harbor covetous thoughts of any kind towards her sister's betrothed. Lightning wasn't sure if that's what she was doing, but whatever had been going through her mind back there, however briefly, was not acceptable. And yet, shockingly, she thought of how it felt to have her hand held in the large envelopment of Snow's fingers. It had not been an entirely disagreeable experience.

Lightning had to sigh in frustration as she realized that once again she was looking over the fact that Snow already belonged to someone..._not like that makes a difference, of course. It's not like I would be interested either way._ Still, her stomach turned in an odd way. She wasn't used to this feeling of not being able to trust herself. On top of everything, she was more distracted than she could recall in recent memory, during a time and task which required her full attention.

"Perfect," Lightning scoffed to herself. As if being branded a l'Cie wasn't enough...

* * *

A/N: A few things:

1. Thanks again to the people who have been reviewing. I really enjoy getting the feedback. As always, continue to feel free to share insights, revelations, and/or random facts (there are no poisonous snakes in Maine) in the "Reviews" area.

2. SCREW THIS CHAPTER...seriously. I'm sorry if it's too dumb, but I got tired of fixing it. What happened to the characters?? I'll try to do better next time, scout's honor.

3. Wait...where's Fang? Was my favorite character seriously left out of an entire chapter? For crying out loud, _Hope_ had a cameo! FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!

4. I'm dedicating most of the day to progressing in the storyline of the game (half-way through, baby), so I don't know when I'll get the next update in. Thanks in advance for your patience. :)


	4. Ambassador

Part Four

Location: The Lindblum, Flagship of the Cavalry

-

Snow stared up at the bunk above him, hands behind his head, feet crossed at the ankle. Since he was used to being the leader of his old gang back in Bodhum, he normally would have asserted his hero-status and taken the top bunk for himself. Unfortunately, they were in a two-bunk barrack, and the kid had been so excited, in a sort of repressed teenager way, that Snow offered him the top bunk. From the looks of it, Hope seemed happy about the chance for the small, novel experience; he did his best to act mature and nonchalant, though, even while scurrying up the small ladder and touching the ceiling with his toes after lying down.

Things seemed fine between him and the kid now, Snow observed. After the whole Palumpolum adventure, Hope seemed to accept his mother's choice and forgive whatever part Snow may have played in contributing to her untimely demise. So, even while the boy still may have a few reservations, Snow didn't think the kid would be pulling a knife on him again any time soon. That was a comforting thought.

Now, thanks to Cid Raines, Brigadier General of the Cavalry, Snow, Hope, Fang, and Lightning were plucked safely out of Palumpolum and on their way to rescue Sazh and Vanille from a public execution. Certainly, they were flying into a trap, but how could they not try? They had all been branded l'Cie together. _People branded together stand together._ He thought to himself and smirked. No way were they going to abandon their friends. And when they found Dysley, that Primarch puppet of the fal'Cie, Snow would be sure to give him a few hits for Serah, unless Lightning got to him first.

When his thoughts turned to the stoic woman-soldier, the big man dragged one hand across his face in exasperation. Excluding monosyllabic acknowledgments, Lightning had not verbally interacted with him since their episode in Hope's room earlier that day. The excitement of their battle and subsequent escape from Palumpolum made their pre-battle drama seem days in the past already. His injured ribs, still bound from Lightning's field dressing, were the tangible proof that their conflict was only a few hours passed.

Letting his hand rest over his mouth for a few moments, Snow tried not to recall the small thrill which tingled through him when he had pulled Lightning's hand close, forcing her to lean over him. He couldn't explain why he had impulsively retained her hand even after she demanded it back. His brows furrowed together, and he scrubbed his hand over his face again with heavier force, frustrated and a little embarrassed because of the way he had acted. He liked to imagine himself as a man of higher integrity than what he had displayed. Sure, teasing and playing were basics of his personality, but not like that. Not now, when he was engaged to be married. _What was I thinking?_ He loved Serah, and she loved him. He wanted to be closer to Lightning, yeah, but only because she would one day be his sister-in-law. He wanted her acceptance and valiantly fought for it in his mission to rescue Serah from her crystal prison.

Snow's eyes flicked to the door of the small room when he heard a light, tentative knocking. The kind used to test whether or not the occupants were still awake. With mildly pained effort, he levered himself off of the low bunk and silently padded over to the door, his bare feet barely whispering on the hard floor. He grabbed his bandana off of a small desk, tying it on out of habit.

"Evening!" Fang said brightly, but softly, when Snow found her on the other side of the door. "Hope I didn't wake you?" When she ran her eyes over him in a quick assessment, fearing she had disrupted his sleep since he was clad only in his black pants.

"Nah, I was up," he replied just as softly, glancing back over his shoulder into the room to make sure they were not disturbing the sleeping Hope.

"You still need all that?" Fang gestured towards the bandages still wound around his torso, the only thing providing cover on the upper half of his body. Snow's hand reflexively went to his covered ribs, pressing gently to test if his discomfort was improving.

"Probably not," he admitted. "I just didn't get around to taking them off. I sorta forgot they were there," he smiled as he explained. "They make me look kind of adventurous, don't you think?"

"Shut UP already." Snow and Fang both looked into the room when Hope groggily protested their disturbance, rolling over to face the wall and pulling his pillow over his head.

"Sorry, kid," Fang and Snow apologized simultaneously, looked to one another in amusement, and then couldn't help but laugh at themselves.

"Seriously!" Hope exclaimed at their loud merriment, whipping his pillow angrily at the door. Snow barely managed to shut the door behind him in time to impede the soft missile. Outside the room, he and Fang chuckled again at the youth's temper.

"Cute kid," Fang commented, making Snow smile even wider as he recalled his and Hope's tribulations.

"Yeah, he's all right...when you're on his good side," Snow said passively. He started to fold his arms across his chest but thought better of it; he was still a little too sore for that posture. "So, something on your mind? It's a little late for visiting hours."

"Actually, I came to say that we're part of the same club now," Fang said cryptically.

"Oh yeah? What club is that? You think you're a hero now, or something? Because I'll tell you right now, it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to my level," he grinned widely as he attempted to strike an impressive pose, puffing out his chest a little too much, making him wince and cough at the sharp pain in his ribs.

"Easy, hero," Fang said somewhat condescendingly, thumping him high on his back a few times. "And I mean I was walloped by Lightning, too." She gingerly touched her right cheek after she spoke. Her cheek bone was faintly red, betraying the location where the angry soldier had backhanded her. Snow's eyes widened for a moment at this news, but he soon slipped into another easy smile.

"You told her, huh? I guess I can't really blame her, and she's hit me for less...and harder," he softly tapped his jaw with a closed fist, smiling wider.

"I suppose I'm not a big enough idiot to warrant her full strength, yeah?" Fang jeered, making Snow's expression fall.

"Hey, now--" Snow began to protest the insult.

"I'm only joking," she said, but her eyes still laughed, and Snow managed a weak glare. Fang found it difficult to take him seriously. "Still, she's seemed a bit out of sorts since Palumpolum," Fang noted, putting a hand on her hip as she looked to the side, thinking. "Is she always so..." she searched for the right word, "...Intense? Quiet? Violently antisocial?"

Snow smirked as he answered. "Yes. Yes. And...antisocial, sometimes. Violently so?...not generally." _Unless it's me,_ he thought to himself.

"Could'a fooled me," Fang snorted as she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "She has this one finger wrapped, like she got cut or something, and I ask her what happened. She almost tore my head off, I swear!" She muttered more under her breath, but it was unintelligible. After receiving no response or possible insight, she glanced back to the tall blonde man. "You okay? You look a little pale."

"Oh, yeah," he said, rubbing the fingers of one hand over his eyes to hide any reaction that might imply his blame. "Just getting tired, I guess." He knew Lightning would probably be upset at him for a little while, but he didn't think she would get worked up enough to lose her cool around the others. It must be worse than he thought. Not good.

"You should talk to her, see if I did something to make her so edgy," Fang said.

"What? Why me?" Snow said, going a little pale again as he snapped his thoughts back to the present conversation.

"Isn't it obvious?" Fang asked incredulously.

"No..?" He narrowed his eyes in confusion. Had she guessed that he was the reason for Lightning's foul temper?

"You can take the most hits, tough guy. So, you'll get farther in a conversation with the punchy one."

"Oh, right. Yeah, I guess..." he said slowly, relieved he didn't have to explain himself.

"Perfect!" she said with exuberance. "She's in the hangar, where we talked before. Let me know how it goes, yeah?" Fang turned abruptly and quickly headed towards the room she was sharing with Lightning.

"What?" Snow asked quickly. "No that's not what I..." His outstretched hand reached lamely for Fang's retreating figure, but she was already down the hall and soon turned, disappearing around a corner. His mouth was still slightly opened in protest. _She tricked me._

_

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_A/N: Okay, then. Thanks all, for your patience while I got my head together and tried to figure stuff out. I know that there was no lightning/snow interaction during this part but please be assured that the next part has plenty. Enough to choke on, probably. But please don't, I find myself so very fond of you all.

I hope you liked this part for a couple of reasons. First off, it might contain the last funny bits of any notable occurrence in the story. I say 'might' because I honestly can't remember much of what I just spent the last several hours writing. I was a little under the weather, but pressed on. The result is probably more typos or errors than normal and possible OOC instances.

Secondly, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, short and sweet as it is, because the next chapter is the last. Yes, part five will be the end. I have it written, but I felt I should have the chance to give it another look since I wrote it under the influence of illness, very very late at night, and without regard of any kind. No doubt the OOC instances in part five are numerous. Also, in light of how the final part turned out, I'm going to be adding 'Angst' to the story description in that little allotted area. Yay? I hope to get the last part posted some time tomorrow, after a lot of sleep.

Please continue to feel free to comment, share thoughts, or post random facts (porcupines have the softest underbellies of all the little forest creatures) in the appropriate 'Reviews' section. Thanks, kids. Goodnight. *passes out*


	5. Acceptance

I forgot the disclaimer on part four, but here it is this time! I DO NOT OWN OR HAVE RIGHTS TO the Final Fantasy franchise, Square Enix, or any characters/locations/what-have-you therein. Whew.

This is the final installment for this story. I originally wrote it at an obscenely late/early hour of the day while slightly delirious with a since-cured cold. So, in fair warning, there is angst...and fluff. I think that's what it's called. At the end of this part, down at the bottom, I will have a small explanation for why I have written things out this way. I will also include a couple of songs that inspired/go with this story.

Spoilers: If you do not know Lightning's real name and do not wish to find out via this story, do not read on. I'm not sure if that is a legitimate spoiler or not, but I want to be safe.

P.S. Doesn't the word 'hangar' sound like pirate jargon? HangAR!

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Part Five: Acceptance

Location: Lindblum, open-air hangar.

Lightning's pale eyes gazed without preference out into the night sky enveloping the airship. They were so high in Cocoon's protected sky that the lights below could only manage a faint glitter, barely twinkling through hazy wisps of sheer clouds. She leaned the side of one hip against the cold metal of the railing, idly rubbing a hand over her upper arm as she let her thoughts wander over the events of the past few days. Her gloves were trapped under the belt around the waist of her jacket. She had removed them to more easily re-bandage the finger she had cut while speaking with Snow earlier that day, back in Palumpolum. Originally, the wound had not been that grievous and had mostly affected her fingernail, bleeding but slightly. After their battle with the PSICOM ship, however, the stress had aggravated the injury of her sword hand and caused the nail to split and bleed enough to require treatment.

It throbbed dully now, and she stopped swiping her hand over her arm, remembering to try and take it easy, allowing her injured hand to rest at her other arm's elbow as she continued to stare aimlessly out into the darkness. It seemed to be as bleak as their future. _What future?_ Lightning blinked at her own pessimistic thought; her eyes focusing and narrowing slightly, displaying something close to anguish. She wanted to destroy Eden and the fal'Cie; she wanted her sister back, alive and well. But what if this was all as impossible as it sounded?

She turned to face the railing fully, wrapping the fingers of her uninjured hand around the topmost bar, the cold metal unable to steal her attention away from her newly-found barren mindset. _Am I running to this fight just to fight again? Have I hidden the same panicked tactic under the guise of progress?_ She could play the cool and confident role to give the others reassurance, but now it seemed she had saved none for herself. Mortified at the helplessness of her thoughts, Lightning fought to climb out of the despair she usually worked so hard at ignoring. That despair had formed with the death of her parents, grew with each cold or heated exchange she'd had with Serah, and multiplied exponentially when she saw her little sister all but die before her eyes. She would have liked to say that she accepted her l'Cie branding as punishment, but it truthfully just seemed to add punctuation to the depressing sentence of her life, expanding the deep, dark pool in her mind.

Snow found her as she was spiraling into her mental pit. After Fang appointed him as the official Lightning ambassador, he had stalked back into his room, tugged on his boots, and grabbed his jacket before beginning his mission to seek out "She of the blank stare and hard fist." Another pillow had thumped against the door on his way out which he credited to a reawakened Hope. He had reached the hangar before realizing that he hadn't remembered to put a shirt on under his coat. It didn't bother him, though. The weather was mild, and he felt rather comfortable once he stepped onto the breezy catwalk.

When he saw Lightning, he began to raise his hand in an attempt to hail her, figuring he would act normal and innocent for as long as possible while interacting with her. His motion faltered, though, the hand only making it to shoulder height before he dropped it again. Lightning's figure was in profile to him, and her expression was not one that he recognized. _Wait..._he thought, remembering. There had been a moment, back on the vestige of the Pulse fal'Cie which had branded them all. In that moment when they both knew they were losing Serah, Lightning's expression had been similar to this one. _Is she thinking about Serah?_

He waited, watching her for a few more moments. Her injured hand moved up to her chest, forming a lightly closed fist as she pressed her knuckles onto the spot where he understood her l'Cie brand to be located. From the look on her face, it seemed to be causing her pain; her brows came together and her jaw muscles tightened. Snow realized that he was frowning, too. Seeing her like that, he felt pained as well. After another moment, when her eyes closed and the knuckles of her fingers around the rail went white, he finally walked towards her, closing the gap. In a small act of subtlety which was usually not forefront in his mind, he made his footsteps fall with an exaggerated weight, making them even easier to hear to give Lightning a chance to react accordingly.

The tactic worked. At the sound of the heavy boots approaching, Lightning's eyes snapped open, and her posture corrected itself to ramrod straightness. He watched her chest rise and fall once heavily before she half-turned to face him, leveling her pale eyes into his bright ones, her blank mask almost fully in place. Snow let his lips spread into a smile, trying to make his eyes match and hopefully not betray his concern.

"Hey, Sis," he said genially, flicking his hand in a careless wave. His nonchalant greeting made her eyes temporarily widen slightly, with what emotion he was not sure, but she soon brought her stoicism to the forefront once again.

"It's a little late for a stroll," she said in low tones, her voice chilly.

"I could say the same thing to you, right?" he replied, keeping his smile in place. Lightning turned her face back over the railing, apparently not inclined to visually acknowledge him. Snow imagined she was replaying his indecent conduct in her mind, silent simmering over it even as he stood within fist's-reach.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted suddenly, to Snow's surprise. "I've been thinking..." her words trailed off. He noted that her features had gone softer once again, not in the relaxed ease of her sleep, but in a way which silently admitted a sort of defeat. What in the world was going on here?

"About what?" Snow had an idea of what her thoughts could be, but he asked anyway on impulse. At his questioning, the injured hand at her chest tensed briefly. Several moments of silence passed between them, passively indicating she was not going to reveal her inner musings.

"How's your finger?" He tried a different approach, confused now that he saw it was bandaged. It had not seemed that bad earlier. When she reflexively dropped the hand to her side, hiding it from his view, he barely caught himself in time to avoid rolling his eyes. It seemed she was being especially antisocial today, just like Fang had said.

"Did you need something?" Lightning finally turned toward him fully, her good hand at her hip and her head tilting to the side as she appraised him, noting his bare torso under his long coat. _He still has the bandages on. Is he in pain?_ At the thought, she relaxed the thin line she had pressed her lips into and shifted her weight uncomfortably, brushing a few independent strands of hair behind her ear as she glanced down.

Snow could have been mistaken, but it seemed as if she had adopted an aggressive attitude and then just as suddenly stepped down. It was starting to become unsettling, this odd characterization she was portraying. Even more unsettling was the itch in his hands as he witnessed her actions, wanting to tell her things would be okay with sweeps of his fingers down the slopes of her arms. He turned away from the rail and leaned back against it, looking out over the opposite side, taking his eyes away from a course of self-ruin. "You been thinking about Serah?" The question escaped his mouth, despite being a subject he did not feel worthy to broach at the moment.

Lightning looked up to the big man's face, openly bewildered for a moment that he had managed to guess her thoughts. Her gaze turned out into the night again. "A little," she said. They stood silently, each looking over a different view, finding nothing in the sky.

"Your brand is getting bigger," Lightning observed when her eyes found his arm as it lay against the rail. Snow glanced down when she mentioned it. He had noticed, of course, but having someone point it out made him look without thinking, despite already knowing what he would see.

"Yeah," he said, holding his arm up to better examine the blight marring his skin. Lightning watched as he studied it closely. The thoughtfulness in his eyes was not what she usually beheld when interacting with the large man. His fingers flexed and extended at his bidding, the brand shifting a little as the muscles underneath tightened and relaxed.

There was something about male forearms, some genetic design specific to them, that made the cord-like muscles controlling their fingers appear outlined, dramatic in their juxtaposition with each other. Lightning surmised that, were she to try, she would just barely be able to encircle his forearm with both of her hands.

"Lightning?" When Snow said her name, Lightning realized her fingers were on his arm. Things were so strange. Without gloves, his hands seemed so vast compared to her, likewise, bare hands. She pressed her palm fully to his arm as he stood frozen. When her hand slid over his skin towards his hand, he had to mightily fight to suppress a tingle that crawled up his spine and threatened to shake him bodily. Her hand was cool against his skin. He tried to recall if Serah's touch had felt like this, too. He couldn't remember.

"I'm sorry," Snow opened his eyes when Lightning apologized. It barely registered that he didn't recall closing them. Lightning's hand had stopped over his brand, covering it completely. Before he could offer her pardon, she continued. "This is all my fault. I know that. I didn't believe Serah when she told me she was a l'Cie. I couldn't. I..." she paused, the words seemingly too painful to say out loud. "I threatened her!" she finished desperately. "I said it would be my duty to hunt her down if she'd become a Pulse l'Cie." Lightning's other hand came up and grasped his arm from the other side, and she pressed his arm, the spot where is brand was, between her hands. "The words won't stop playing in my head. I hear myself over and over again, saying those horrible things."

"Light," Snow started to say something, but he stopped when he didn't know what should follow. He had been there, in the room, when Lightning had said all of that to Serah, and he didn't know how to comfort her. "We can do this. We're the heroes, after all." He offered a smile which she didn't see since she had been continuously staring at her hands on his arm. Her grip relaxed, but her hands remained where they were.

"I'm going for Dysley," she said, her voice regaining some of its usual conviction. This time, when Snow looked down to her, she took notice and lifted her eyes to meet his. They were hard again, which he was used to, but they were not cold. The fire fueling the drive for her goal was apparent in her gaze. The new combination took Snow off guard. Lightning was showing him so many different aspects, he wasn't sure how to react.

"I'm taking him down, and then I'm severing the fal'Cie's hold over Cocoon," as she spoke her fingers slightly tightened around his arm again. "I want to give the people control over their own destinies, and then..." she faltered, her eyes clouding temporarily before she retracted her hands from his skin. He frowned at the change in her countenance, not understanding the cause until she finished what she had been about to say. "Then we'll get Serah back," she said, her voice strong, sure of itself. Her features were returning to her stoic mask.

"It's late," she said. Snow thought his heart would break when he heard her tone, perfectly level and cool as the breeze pushing loose strands of hair across her eyes. When she started to step around him, plotting a course for her room, he saw his hand reach out and catch her arm. He felt her tense under his hand. Any other time, she would have turned and snatched her limb away from his grip with a fifty-percent chance of physical retaliation following close behind. This time, though, she just stood, waiting for him to say something or let go. _Let go_. He told himself. His hand remained, despite his mind's urging. How could he explain his words, his actions, when he himself didn't understand, tried to dissuade his own doings.

Lightning wished desperately that he would release her. His touch was warm and, somehow, made her feel..._innocent, like some of the blame is shifted away, _she thought, _like all of this is somehow possible, like I'm not alone. _But if she didn't have her responsibility, her duty, a goal, she had nothing. That was far more frightening.

"Snow," she heard herself say in protest to his grip.

"Wait," he said quickly, his mind kicking back into gear. "Just hold on a second." To his relief, Lightning turned back to face him, waiting like he had asked. He let his hand fall away from her arm. Her expectant gaze made him uncomfortable since he did not really have anything to say. He just wanted her to stay. He might have guessed, if he had the mind to try, that she didn't want to leave.

"You got to say a lot of cool stuff, but I didn't get to say anything," he began. Lightning's eyebrow raised of its own accord. "I guess...what I want to say is...I'm," he began to form more words to follow, but stopped abruptly.

"You're...?" Lightning said, urging him to complete his thought, showing signs of surfacing annoyance.

"We want the same things, Light," he said, obviously changing what he originally intended to say. Lightning remained silent, ignoring his calling her 'Light' for the second time that evening.

"All that stuff you said, I want that, too," he explained, unconsciously taking a small step toward her. "But, more importantly," he began again, "This isn't your fault." He held up his arm to show his brand. Lightning shifted her feet and looked ready to counter his statement, but he cut her off. "Really, it's not. I chose to follow you into that vestige. I decided to stay and fight. I would have been there even if you weren't because I'm the hero," when he grinned as he said this, Lightning could not help but smirk slightly for a brief moment. Snow's face turned serious again. "And Serah," he said quietly.

Lightning felt like his words held a lead weight that dropped into her stomach. "And Serah," she repeated just as quietly. Surprise was plainly evident in her face when Snow closed the distance between them and took hold of her sword hand, the one with the injured finger. He gently placed his other hand over hers that he held, forming a protective cage. "Serah is my sister," Lightning said, hoping her meaning was clear enough to make Snow drop her hand, to make him stop insisting on touching her. When she realized that, in this conversation, she had touched him first, she turned her face away in self-reproach of her hypocrisy.

"I'm sorry for causing you pain," he said softly, retaining her hand. He was apparently making a habit of taking this particular hand hostage.

"You're her fiancé," Lightning's voice was colder, but more urgent, like she was afraid of losing.

"And she will always be special to me," Snow said in return. His free hand reached out and encircled her waist, pulling her closer. It was becoming clear to him that, while originally it seemed his hands were acting of their own accord, going against his bidding, they were genuinely enacting his will. Discovering that he wanted her close was amazing enough; even more amazing was her compliance, however reluctant.

"You're getting married!" Lightning nearly shouted, her mask failing as she grimaced, her free hand clenching tightly over her brand. The agitation was causing her brand to burn fiercely.

"Lightning!" Snow wasn't sure what was causing her pain, but he could guess. Her hand formed a hard fist, and she punched the side of his chest. He winced, but thankfully she hadn't gone for his ribs. When her hand vacated the spot of her pain, he unwound his arm from around her waist and pressed his palm to where her brand would be, a little higher than the center of her chest. He grit his teeth, upset that he couldn't think of anything else to do.

The pain passed almost as quickly as it had come, and Lightning gasped a few lungfuls of air in relief. "I'm okay," she said while swaying slightly. Once she was settled again, she realized where Snow's hand was and flushed a little pink, glancing down to her chest. When she looked back up, though, Snow didn't give her the chance to speak or argue. He dipped his head down to her. Their lips met and matched, lingering.

When Snow pulled away from the short-lived contact, he wasn't sure how to describe Lightning's expression. She seemed shocked, and perplexed, and uncertain. Most surprisingly, she didn't seem angry. He was almost certain he would be forfeiting his livelihood with such a brash action. Yet he remained in the realm of the living. They stood looking at one another for a long moment, both trying to guess what they other was thinking. Snow slid his hand up to the bottom of her ear, his fingers gently wrapping behind her neck as his thumb brushed across her cheek once. Lightning's eyes almost closed as her face turned ever so slightly into his palm. Fast and irregular, he felt the rhythm of her heartbeat against his hand. After a moment, he was amazing to feel it slow significantly, becoming strong and steady. It didn't falter when she locked her eyes back onto his.

Snow was captured in that moment. But when he leaned towards her again, Lightning checked his motion with the hand she had kept at his chest. Snow froze, looked down, and then sighed. What else had he been expecting? His fingers twitched at her neck, once again not listening to his command when he willed their retreat.

"My name," Lightning said, her voice clear and calm, contrary to what he would have expected. When he looked back up to her, the question in his eyes, Lightning felt a surge of warmth. It felt like coming home after a long day at work to find Serah sleeping peacefully on the couch. It felt like there had never been a problem in the world. It was pure and could be nothing but good. Love felt like many things, and they were all this warm. "It's Claire," she said. The turmoil had fled from her eyes, replaced by conviction and acceptance.

"Claire," he said with a smile. Hearing her name in his voice and seeing him smile while he said it, Claire couldn't help but smile, as well. When he saw this, Snow couldn't help but kiss her again. Their mouths came together, seeking, finding, unyielding. The surrender was freeing, and they forgot about everything besides the sensation of pressing against each other. Claire wrapped her fingers into the collar of his coat, pulling him down more, pulling him closer, unable to let go of this warm feeling.

At one point, Snow's engagement necklace, one of a matching pair he had purchased for himself and Serah, became tangled with the zipper at Claire's throat and knotted them together. Taking this as a good omen, they continued, unabashed and without interruption.

End.

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A/N: ...*crickets chirping* I was not able to honestly judge this addition to the story. I do not know how I feel about it. I tried not to make it too sappy and tried to keep it believable. If there is a question mark in your brain about anything, visit my profile. I have prepared a discussion on this story, characters and different elements and what I was trying to do. Read it, and if there is still a question mark about anything, please PM me. Hearing from readers is the only way I can identify what works and what doesn't. Please help me to improve by providing feedback. /insecure rant

Thanks so much again to those who have left reviews. I try to respond back to people within a day or two. Please feel free to leave comments, reviews, and random facts (human peripheral vision has increased by 75% in the past 20 years) in the "Reviews" area even if you did not feel like reading the discussion on my profile. I hope you derived some pleasure and/or entertainment from this short story. Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to read.

I said I would list a few songs, so here they are: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something, If You're Not the One by Daniel Bedingfield, Kissing You by Des'ree, I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie. They are all great songs which helped me get in the right mindset to write this story. Peace. That's it. The End.


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